RSnake Report 20250330

Hello, and thanks for reading! Busy week over here. We spotted a bug in the migration from WordPress that caused us to lose part of the SPF record and caused email delivery issues. Hopefully, that is cleared up! I also did a talk at Innotech Austin on CVSS scores, which seemed to go over well. I think I’ll likely do that preso again, but as part of a series of presentations about “why we spend 200 billion a year and still get hacked anyway”. So stay tuned for that in the coming months/year.

Let’s start with the news about Russia/Ukraine. Despite over two years of grinding failure, US intelligence assessments still conclude that Vladimir Putin remains hellbent on conquering all of Ukraine, not just the five regions his regime currently claims - the whole thing. So let’s take a look at what the current day-to-day war fighting looks like for Russia.

First, let’s talk about the kill ratios. According to Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, there's now about a 10:1 ratio in Russian personnel losses to equipment, which implies the Russians are running out of armored vehicles. This may be a broken statistic because I don’t know if they include things like motorcycles and golf carts as vehicles in this war effort. But if the “vehicles” include motorcycles, then this just shows that the bulk of Russians are crossing open battlefields with nothing but body armor to protect them. It does make hitting them more difficult and costly, because a single large explosive can’t take out the lot of them, I guess… if I’m being charitable.

So now let’s look at the troops themselves. Moscow is now sending troops into combat with crutches, wheelchairs, and no maps, no radios, no exfil plan. And we have heard a lot about the mechanization of Russian exfiltration and medivac technology. But what are we seeing on the ground? Two dudes, with a branch and a leather strap, dragging their wounded on a dirt road. I could see this footage being a WWI reenactment, just as quickly as the second greatest army on earth’s modern evacuation plan. I am not saying that anecdotes indicate the entire war, and I am sure there are pockets of high tech being used here and there, but this is broadly available footage. I haven’t seen an alternative narrative showing actual use of better tech on the battlefield outside of their air force and air defense. Russia’s army is a mess.

FPV drones and DPICM continue to shred unsupported assaults, this push involving motorcycles, golf carts, and repurposed civilian cars, chopped into "technicals" by necessity more than design. If you watch this two-minute video, you get a sense for how absurd the tactics are. The only reason Russia is winning on any front has mostly to do with having 10x the amount of personnel to throw into the meat grinder.

Meanwhile, the Russian military is trying to show off its “Arena-M” active protection system, supposedly designed to intercept incoming threats from all angles. Maybe. At least, it looks very cool in videos. This is relatively old tech from NATO’s perspective, but the Russians have finally figured out how to build it for themselves.

Winning the award for the most ridiculous innovation of the war so far is this hilarious video of a dude running around with a netted box around his body. I guess the theory is that if you are running through open ground, this can snag drones as they try to hit you and presumably not cause them to detonate and send fragments right through you. Even if I believed that part would work (and it wouldn’t, since frag can go dozens of meters and still kill soldiers) this wouldn’t last 5 minutes in any kind of underbrush or forrest situation, or trenches, or buildings. God help you trying to put these into vehicles for rapid transport, etc. 🏆️ 🤡 

Meanwhile, in the sky, Ukraine continues to rack up kills using DIY shotgun drones. I was a little wary of these things when they first entered the scene because the round count is low, what looks like just two shells each, and frankly, they have to get extremely close to have any hope of taking the enemy drones out. But to my surprise, this video proves me wrong, and not only does this appear to be a great way to take them out, but they also know where they land, so recovery of the enemy drones and whatever onboard tech is useful is feasible. I still think this is version 1, and a better version would be a minor amount of AI to help position the gun, because from the looks of this, it is still up to the skill of the drone pilot, and that’s gonna be iffy for this type of skeet shooting.

Things are getting testy along the EU’s frontier. Poland has now stationed 11,000 troops along its border with Belarus, a signal that Warsaw isn’t in the mood for any more of Minsk’s hybrid warfare games. I have heard rumors that the Baltic states are very concerned about a Ukrainian ceasefire because it would allow Belarus and Russian forces to regroup and change tactics, and that could easily involve Poland.

Meanwhile, Berlin was rocked this week by what authorities are calling a deliberate vehicle attack. A man drove his car onto a sidewalk and into a crowd, injuring and killing multiple people. The motivation hasn't been made public yet, but the method is depressingly familiar. That and a few knife attacks, one in Amsterdam and one in Norway, feel like they are connected. I don’t mean in the sense that they are coordinated, but rather it does feel like there is a spike in hatred amongst various groups in the region. Call the two sides: the locals and immigrants. I do not see an easy path to peace amongst these people. It’ll end up ugly no matter how you want to do it, and rather than speculate, let’s say that you just need to play out in your mind all the possible solutions to one side being left alone, and that almost all entail the other side having a very rough go of it.

Speaking of Norway, Germany’s Isar Aerospace’s Spectrum rocket, launched from the Andøya Spaceport in Norway, exploded just 44 seconds after liftoff - the video is short and worth a watch. To be fair here, this is rocket science and not easy. That said, this does show that the European Union is quite a way off from being able to replace SpaceX and Starlink. I do hope they get there, because it is good to have competition and resilience, but still, it’s a ways off.

Sweden’s Nortic Air Defense invented what can only be described as a miniaturized Iron Dome called Kreuger100. This drone-killing system looks like it was built to intercept an IKEA delivery truck but hits enemy UAVs at 270 km/h. It's a pretty cool little system that appears to be small enough and portable enough that even a single truck could drop enough of these off to create a dense net of these devices around a small city, say.

Onto South East Asian news. This past week saw back-to-back joint combat patrols just 24 nautical miles off Taiwan's coast, with a swarm of 59 PLA aircraft detected, including 43 inside the island’s ADIZ, the highest single-day spike in five months. But that’s not all: China flexes across five different seas simultaneously, with coordinated drills in the Taiwan Strait, Western Pacific, South China Sea, East China Sea, and Bohai Sea.

China was also working with its Russian counterparts to test the Japanese defenses in the region. The Chinese set a new record for the longest continuous presence in Japanese territorial waters. Keep in mind that we are rapidly approaching one of the two good weather seasons for China to invade Taiwan. The two good seasons are May-June and Sept-Oct, when monsoons and high seas are the least likely. China has said it intends to take Taiwan by 2027. So, with each passing season, that assault becomes more likely.

A new PLAN stealth demonstrator was spotted sporting an aggressively low-observable hull design. The origami shape allows it to bounce most of the radar signature off into directions that limit its observability to incoming missiles and airborne scanning radar systems.

Meanwhile, some vessel owners are now actively dumping Chinese shipbuilding contracts, and those looking to charter ships are specifically excluding Chinese-built tonnage. This is due to Trump's mandate to increase port/duty fees for Chinese ships. This has the benefit of spreading out shipbuilding and discouraging trade with China. The disadvantage is increased cost to the average consumer, though, at least in the short term. So the idea is working, but we’ll see if we end up worse off.

Meanwhile, North Korea’s been busy proving that imitation is still its favorite form of provocation. Kim Jong-un personally oversaw the test flight of a massive Global Hawk-style strategic reconnaissance drone, along with AI-enabled kamikaze drones. This drone is a monster, and it looks like it could easily stay aloft for a long duration or cover long distances for aerial surveillance.

Giving me more reason to believe that they are focusing on surveillance, Pyongyang also unveiled its first-ever AEW&C aircraft, a Frankenstein’s monster stitched together from Russian A-50s and Chinese KJ-2000s, running on a modified Il-76 airframe. The plane was already spotted via satellite in 2023, but now it’s official.

In Bangkok, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake rocked Thailand, with particularly devastating damage centered in the Chatuchak district. Vital signs have been detected from 15 people still trapped beneath the collapsed State Audit Office building, with 47 more still unaccounted for. The videos are incredible - this is a collection of some of them.

In Middle Eastern news, Iran decided to crank the apocalyptic rhetoric to 11 this week, with Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami promising to wipe the US and Europe off the face of history during Friday prayers. Just a casual genocidal threat, nbd. He also took a swing at Turkey, calling out Ankara’s hypocrisy for warning Iran about Syria while continuing its power plays across the region. This is feeling a bit more desperate than usual. Granted, we hear this rhetoric from them all the time, but Iran knows it cannot win against any meaningful engagement without help from Russia, which is more than a little preoccupied in Ukraine, or China, which likely would stay out of it aside from some logistical support. Iran has no other friends in the region at the moment. They see what his happening in Gaza and Lebanon, and that is relatively restrained compared to what Israel and the US are capable of.

We are also, for the first time that I can recall, seeing large protests in Gaza against Hamas. The people are sick of losing, and frankly, Hamas is the loser so far, by a wide margin. The people were quick to rejoice when they thought they had struck a significant blow against Israel, but things are not going to plan.

Meanwhile, Gaza continues to burn. With a very hyperbolic estimate of six Hiroshima-sized bombs dropped in the densely packed strip, I think what the claim here is that the overall tonnage of bombs dropped is more than the few kilotons of explosives equivalent of the Hiroshima bomb. That said, it is still the home of a lot of insurgents who don’t seem to care how many bombs are dropped while they still have a heartbeat in their chest. Peace was never an option. And what the explosive photo here is… is likely an underground cache of explosives/missiles going off when they were struck.

A rare concentration of stealth is building over Diego Garcia, where four B-2 Spirit bombers have joined the two already deployed. That many B-2s in one place suggests something operational is either on the table or already in motion. This is to send Iran a message, but almost equidistant to Iran is China. Without even having to say such a thing to China, it is very obvious to China that they have six nuclear-capable stealth strike bombers within range. Whether aimed at Iran, Yemen, or a broader show of force to chill the Red Sea theater, it’s a signal to be heard by whomever needs to listen to it.

Turkey just pulled off a coordinated UCAV strike using two different Bayraktar drones, the TB3, which launched a Roketsan UAV-122 missile from over 50 kilometers out, and the TB2, which laser-designated the target mid-air. The result? A pinpoint hit on a moving target at sea. That’s pretty impressive and shows that Turkey has a fairly advanced drone program. One hopes that they don’t give that to the former ISIS in Syria, as they have previously equipped and trained those same soldiers with drones in the past, to fight Assad and the Kurds… and maybe eventually Iran. What a mess.

In Domestic news, the US flexed a bit of its own missile muscle this week with a successful Aegis missile defense test off an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The Pentagon dropped a two-stage ballistic missile from a C-17 cargo plane with parachutes and then intercepted it mid-air. It was a pretty elaborate setup, but perhaps they wanted to test in a very specific way without letting the surface ship know when or where it would be launched from—similar to a sub launch.

On the home front, the Trump national security team accidentally had an unforced error by adding the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief to their private Signal chat regarding the attack on the Houthis. Here’s my take on it, having been in many of these groups. It’s super easy to misclick and add the wrong people. It’s easy to misread people’s names and assume it is the Joe you meant to send something to. The DoD used to use Wickr Pro for almost everything, which was all meant for internal communications. When Wickr was bought by Amazon Wickr Me, the free version was no longer supported. It meant that people had to switch to Signal. Signal is not a replacement, because it is tied to your actual phone number, and there is no partitioning it for work and non-work activities. Signal is an all-or-nothing encryption system. So, to me, this is not a shock at all. What the ramifications will be, though, is a different matter. Was it illegal to send classified information? Well, was it classified at all? If it wasn’t, should it have been? They said it wasn’t classified, so why can’t the Atlantic share it? Rest assured, these are the questions we’ll be hearing about for the rest of Trump’s term.

Meanwhile, in Texas, a private school used an AI tutor and saw its students rise to the top 2% of students in the country. That won’t go unnoticed by other schools. Yes, LLMs hallucinate and get stuff wrong, but they are also like having an Einstein in your pocket. That's another reason we need AIs that are grounded in the ground truth, not people in Silicon Valley’s idyllic utopian view of reality.

OpenAI’s latest model can now render text in images that actually look like text, which sounds mundane until you realize that previous models couldn’t do this without producing glyph soup. It is fascinating to see how rapidly this is advancing. It’s not pixel perfect, but it’s way, way better than it has been in the past.

Alibaba’s TaoAvatar, launched on Hugging Face, takes things further: real-time, full-body, lifelike talking avatars built using 3D Gaussian splatting. Now we’ve got uncanny valley virtual influencers that move like Pixar characters and speak like your HR manager. Honestly, this is where AR finally starts coming into its own. When you can throw on a pair of glasses and interface with an avatar, that can go a long way towards customer support, therapies, entertainment, etc.

Combine that with the new generation of Blender tools, like Rodin AI, which creates high-quality 3D assets from nothing but a prompt, or Tripo, which reverse-engineers 3D scenes from 2D images — and you start to realize: manual modeling is dying, and good riddance. The Blender community is describing them and letting the algorithms do the rest.

ICity 1.3.0 just dropped with smarter geometry, better visuals, and upgraded terrace systems. Urban design, like everything else, is now AI-assisted. This stuff is just mind-blowing to me. It is only a matter of years before we have AR/VR-driven holodecks. Of course, the physical world isn’t quite there, but the visual and auditory world is extremely close.

Speaking of the physical world, though, Bambu Labs just dropped the H2D and H2D Laser, their latest all-in-one manufacturing hubs. This thing prints, cuts, and assembles. It can print two different types of materials simultaneously to make one soft and one semi-rigid material. The example they used was shoes and bicycle seats, all uni-body and yet still comfortable for humans. Very cool. It's not quite Holodeck, to say the least, because this would take a lot of work to build and time to print, but it's still very cool.

Oh, yeah, lastly, if you were a user of them, go delete your 23andMe data. Right now. Tech journalists are now walking through just how easy it is to wipe your genomic data off their platform, after it became clear the company couldn’t keep it secure and would likely end up selling it in a bankruptcy. It takes a minute, and unless you want your genetic code showing up in some future data dump, it’s probably a minute well spent.

Okay, onto the articles!

A major earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 has struck Myanmar, resulting in over 1,600 fatalities and widespread destruction. In the aftermath, the military junta is continuing air strikes against pro-democracy groups, despite ongoing rescue efforts and international condemnation.

• A 7.7 magnitude earthquake has caused significant casualties and destruction in Myanmar.

• The military junta is launching air strikes in affected areas, complicating rescue efforts.

• Pro-democracy resistance groups are gaining control over substantial parts of the country amid ongoing civil conflict.

[RSnake: Those videos (above) are intense.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy7x7r8m3xlo

Ukraine is facing a surge in drone attacks from Russia, with 172 drones launched in a single night, resulting in casualties and further damage to cities. President Zelenskyy has called for stronger international responses to Russian aggression and criticized the lack of effective action on peace proposals, indicating a pressing need for global support to reinforce diplomatic efforts. The situation represents escalating risks to civilian safety and ongoing military operations in the region.

• 172 Russian drones launched at Ukrainian cities, killing four and injuring dozens.

• Zelenskyy urges global pressure on Russia to facilitate peace negotiations.

• Continued military operations pose threats to civilians and complicate diplomatic efforts.

[RSnake: This is the only area that Russia seems to be innovating at the pace of the conflict.]

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/zelenskyy-appeals-for-a-strong-response-after-172-russian-drones-strike-overnight/articleshow/119734795.cms

The US embassy in Syria is warning Americans to leave due to potential imminent attacks during the Eid al-Fitr holiday at the end of Ramadan. The country is experiencing significant risks of terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, hostage-taking, armed conflict and unjust detention. The State Department has advised not to travel to Syria for any reason.

• Assad was deposed late last year by a collection of opposition forces led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group.

[RSnake: Interesting. So much for a moderate Syria. Though, to be fair, this could be coming from any of a half dozen major factions that aren’t so friendly with the US, even if we have mutual enemies. We are still arming the Kurds who are fighting with the former ISIS Syrian government, for instance.]

Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/us-embassy-syria-tells-americans-leave-warns-potential/story?id=120288348

In March 2025, significant advancements in military aviation communication technology were showcased, particularly involving the deployment of 5G networks by the U.S. and China. Both nations are racing to integrate 5G into their military operations, with the U.S. utilizing Nokia's military-grade solutions and China unveiling its mobile military 5G base station. This competition not only emphasizes technological supremacy but also raises issues related to security and strategic dominance in aerial warfare.

• The U.S. and China are advancing the integration of 5G technology into their respective military operations.

• These developments in 5G for military use could significantly impact real-time data sharing, battlefield awareness, and overall operational effectiveness.

[RSnake: Hm, time will tell if this is a good idea or not. Military application of 5 G seems a little dangerous to me. We saw a lot of deaths in Russia early in the conflict associated with people using mobile phones. So hopefully the US isn’t suggesting that the military continue to use COTS cell phones in a conflict. I hope!]

Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/?p=234337

China's leadership has declared technological innovation a central focus for achieving global dominance, emphasizing the critical link between technology and military strength. Chinese state-sponsored hacking campaigns target U.S. infrastructure, allowing Beijing to leverage dependencies to potentially undermine American readiness in crises. To counter these threats, U.S. officials suggest enhancing defenses, scrutinizing capital flows to Chinese firms linked to the military, and investing in domestic innovation.

• China is prioritizing technological advancements to strengthen military capabilities and influence global supply chains.

• State-sponsored hacking by China aims to infiltrate and exploit U.S. critical infrastructure.

• American officials advocate for proactive measures to safeguard technology and infrastructure from Chinese influence.

[RSnake: The CCP is right to think this, and we should as well. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to help the government unless you are a huge company like Raytheon/Boeing and the like.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/chinas-tech-triple-play-threatens-us-national-security

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed that Ukraine be placed under temporary U.N.-led management in order to hold elections that could lead to peace talks, suggesting negotiations with the current administration would be fruitless.

• Ukraine could be placed under temporary U.N.-led management for elections that could lead to peace talks.

• Negotiations with the current Ukrainian administration would be fruitless, according to Putin.

[RSnake: That does put the UN in a weird position. They have no authority over Ukraine. Who would even enforce this? If somehow the UN did pull this off, it would cause a civil war, or at minimum, a lot of infighting amongst Zelenskyy loyalists.]

Source: https://geopoliticalfutures.com/?p=399099

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Trump administration from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), citing risks of immediate harm to the agency's functions. This ruling follows a broader trend of the administration attempting to cut federal agencies, raising legal questions about the president's authority to eliminate agencies established by Congress.

• A federal judge has halted attempts to dismantle the CFPB, an independent agency crucial for consumer protection.

• The ruling points to potential constitutional overreach by the Trump administration in its attempts to streamline and cut federal agencies.

[RSnake: It’s unclear to me if this is an activist judge, but I am curious how the White House deals with these legal challenges. It seems like most of these rules/changes should be acts of Congress, not executive actions.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/28/judge-blocks-trump-effort-to-shutter-consumer-financial-protection-bureau?traffic_source=rss

Far-left revolutionaries are planning a coordinated effort to mobilize far-left agitators against Tesla, with some of the agitators reportedly funded by Soros-linked NGOs. The efforts come as Democratic lawmakers support the movement, and Tesla has faced a series of violent protests and vandalism at its service locations and charging networks. The violence is part of a larger pattern of domestic terrorism, with the Democratic Party's polling numbers imploding to record lows.

• Far-left revolutionaries are planning a coordinated effort to mobilize far-left agitators against Tesla.

• The efforts come as Democratic lawmakers support the movement, and Tesla has faced violent protests and vandalism at its service locations and charging networks.

[RSnake: Honestly, terrorists of a different name are still terrorists. If people are scared to buy a Tesla for fear of arson, or violence, drive by vandalism, or break-ins, or stopping in the road, or almost running into them, that puts them right alongside any old domestic terrorists.]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/political/tesla-takedown-revolutionaries-prepare-mobilization-far-left-agitators-nationwide

The U.S. has withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO) and cut research and aid funding, which risks global pandemic preparedness and response efforts. This decision puts vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries at greater risk for disease outbreaks, and undermines international collaboration on health issues.

• The U.S. withdrawal from the WHO reduces global health security and pandemic preparedness.

• Cuts to U.S. funding jeopardize health programs, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

[RSnake: The WHO has said they plan to cut their budgets by 20% as a response.]

Source: https://foreignpolicy.com/?p=1190556

A Wisconsin Supreme Court race is taking place, with candidates Susan Crawford and Brad Schimel competing to influence the court's ideological balance. The election outcome could significantly affect key issues such as abortion rights and voter ID laws. The race has garnered unprecedented funding, making it the most expensive state Supreme Court election in history, with endorsements from high-profile figures including Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

• Susan Crawford's candidacy poses a challenge to the conservative majority of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

• The race has attracted record funding and national attention, marking it as crucial for potential legal outcomes in the state.

[RSnake: Interesting how the left is super focused on the courts now that they lost everywhere else. It makes sense. These prosecutors and judges can dramatically change the outcome of how the states and cities operate. Ask any sanctuary city.]

Source: https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-backs-dangerously-liberal-candidate-in-wisconsin-supreme-court-race

The US government has lost track of tens of thousands of unaccompanied alien children after their release from custody, with many ending up in dangerous situations.

• ICE is unable to effectively monitor the location and status of each unaccompanied alien child (UAC) who comes into the U.S. illegally and is released from custody.

• Over 31,000 of those 448,000 children were released to addresses that were left blank, had missing apartment numbers or were undeliverable.

[RSnake: Very sad.]

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/feds-lost-track-tens-thousands-unaccompanied-alien-children-after-release

The US is considering unilateral actions to eliminate its Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), which could lead to a significant shift in the global nuclear balance of power. This move would likely have severe consequences for the country's ability to deter aggression from countries like China and Russia, which are rapidly building up their own nuclear arsenals.

• The cost of modernizing the US nuclear deterrent is estimated to be $400 billion over three decades.

• A unilateral elimination of ICBMs would leave the US with a significantly reduced nuclear arsenal and increased vulnerability to aggression from countries like China and Russia.

[RSnake: Okay, this is one guy, at an institute, who is saying this. This isn’t US doctrine. I doubt we’re still ditching the ICMB triad, when things seem even more dangerous in the South Pacific and Russia than the Cold War. But we may hear more of this line of thinking, to cut costs, and because our nuclear sub program is so far ahead, there is no point in the ICBM program.]

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2025/03/29/without_icbms_a_prescription_for_nuclear_war_1100680.html

President Vladimir Putin launched the new Yasen-M class nuclear submarine, the 'Perm', equipped with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles, at the Arctic port of Murmansk. This submarine is part of Russia's efforts to modernize its naval capabilities, with the ability to perform various military roles and enhance strategic deterrence. The introduction of this advanced submarine is expected to significantly bolster Russia's naval attack capabilities and operational reach.

• The Yasen-M class nuclear submarine 'Perm' is the first to be armed with Tsirkon hypersonic missiles.

• This launch marks a significant step in enhancing Russia's naval capabilities and modernizing its fleet.

• The Yasen-M submarines are designed to operate in various military roles, posing a potential threat to adversaries.

[RSnake: I think subs are the wave of the future in many ways. Both from a deterrence perspective as well as they are much more difficult to track and kill. Russia has lost a lot of its Navy to Ukraine, which has no notable Navy to speak of.]

Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/?p=234443

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing a resurgence of violence involving M23 rebels and Rwanda, resulting in the deaths of at least 7,000 people and the displacement of millions. The conflict has escalated following the rebels' seizure of Goma, a city in a mineral-rich province, while Rwanda's government denies involvement in the unrest.

• The DRC is facing significant political instability and humanitarian crises.

• The M23 rebels' control of Goma impacts regional dynamics and resource access.

[RSnake: Very sad what is happening there.]

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/upfront/2025/3/28/whats-at-stake-in-the-dr-congo-conflict-with-m23-rebels-and-rwanda?traffic_source=rss

A group of researchers successfully hacked into Google’s AI model called Gemini and leaked parts of its source code. This incident reflects ongoing security challenges within the rapidly evolving field of generative artificial intelligence, as vulnerabilities in advanced AI systems continue to be discovered and exploited.

• Researchers hacked Google’s Gemini AI and exposed components of its source code.

• The incident highlights vulnerabilities in AI systems amidst their rapid deployment.

• The hacking was part of a bug bounty event aimed at identifying security issues in AI.

[RSnake: Google left some of the code in a binary accessible by the sandbox. Derp.]

Source: https://www.landh.tech/blog/20250327-we-hacked-gemini-source-code/

A UK software provider has been fined £3.07 million for a 2022 ransomware breach that exposed sensitive personal data of 79,404 people, including NHS patients. The fine is the first imposed on a data processor in the UK and highlights inadequate security measures by the company. This is significant as it sets a precedent for similar breaches.

• The breach was caused by inadequate security measures, including poor vulnerability scanning, inadequate patch management, and lack of universal multi-factor authentication.

• The company, Advanced Computer Software Group Ltd, had installed multi-factor authentication across many of its systems but lacked complete coverage, allowing hackers to gain access to sensitive data.

[RSnake: This is one of the smaller healthcare breaches I’ve seen recently, actually. Normally, they’re in the millions of records.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/uk-fines-software-provider-307-million-for-2022-ransomware-breach/

A cybersecurity incident has occurred involving Oracle, where a threat actor claims to have breached Oracle Cloud's federated SSO login servers and stolen data for approximately 6 million users. Despite Oracle's denial of the breach, multiple companies have confirmed the validity of the leaked data.

• A threat actor has claimed to have stolen user data from Oracle Cloud, including authentication information for 6 million individuals.

• Oracle has denied that a breach occurred, but data samples shared with a security site have been authenticated by various companies.

[RSnake: Bit of a flash in the pan moment. These things happen to lots of major companies. It’s a long story, but some day, I’ll explain what to do in one of these breaches, but basically you can turn it into a good thing, not a bad thing, if you play your cards right.]

Source: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/oracle-customers-confirm-data-stolen-in-alleged-cloud-breach-is-valid/

Budget cuts to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are expected to negatively impact election security due to reduced support for physical and cybersecurity assessments, dispelling misinformation, and supporting election stakeholders.

• US federal budget cuts to the CISA agency will reduce its ability to provide critical resources to help counties prepare for elections.

• The reduction in support from CISA may make elections less secure and put counties at risk of vulnerabilities and cyber threats.

[RSnake: There was a Reddit thread about how NVD is behind on CVEs that just came out a couple of days ago as well. ]

Source: https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/how-cisa-cuts-impact-election-security

Global power plants are increasingly targeted by cyberattacks due to vulnerabilities in their integrated IT and operational technology systems. The cost of cybercrime reached $9.5 trillion in 2024, making it one of the largest economies in the world, surpassing many nations.

• Cyberattacks on power plants pose significant risks including service disruptions and cascading failures.

• Cybercrime is now a massive global economy, with costs reaching $9.5 trillion, making it the third-largest economy after the U.S. and China.

[RSnake: Right, and since there is no money there, you won’t see the normal criminal gangs going after it. So the major hackers are APT actors like China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, etc.]

Source: https://cybersecurityventures.com/?p=33357

Multiple Venmo accounts linked to Trump officials have exposed sensitive information, raising security concerns about potential foreign intelligence exploitation. This includes details about financial transactions and personal connections, which could provide leverage for targeting officials. Experts warn that oversight is needed to protect national security amidst increasing digital vulnerabilities.

• Venmo accounts of Trump officials revealed sensitive transaction data and social connections.

• Experts caution that the exposed information could be exploited by foreign intelligence services.

[RSnake: Oof, this is bad for obvious reasons, but it also would make otherwise good donors much more wary of donating.]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/even-more-venmo-accounts-tied-to-trump-officials-in-signal-group-chat-left-data-public/

A.I. chatbots like ChatGPT and DeepSeek are being developed to reason more complexly, with OpenAI's new technology allowing it to spend time on problems before settling on an answer.

• OpenAI has added a new version of its chatbot that can work through complex problems for several seconds or even minutes before answering.

• Other companies are developing similar technologies that enable A.I. systems to reason more like humans.

[RSnake: It is one of the thing that is missing from local models for now - a lack of good reasoning. But I think we will get there pretty rapidly. I am already spotting things like MCPs for Elastic search. The trick though, will be to start pushing data/memory into Elastic search for RAG retrieval pipelines.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/technology/ai-reasoning-chatgpt-deepseek.html

OpenAI is reportedly closing a new $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank, with the company's valuation reaching $300 billion. Other funds are also participating in the round, and a second tranche is expected this year. This significant investment will further fuel OpenAI's growth and development of its AI technologies.

• OpenAI has secured significant funding to support its growth and development of AI technologies.

• The SoftBank-led $40 billion funding round brings the company's valuation to $300 billion.

[RSnake: Wow, impressive. These kinds of numbers can help them not just on making bigger models, but also small language models that do one task really well. I have a feeling that is how they developed their coding responses, it feels like a different model entirely when you hit it. There is a relatively small number of domains it would have to specialize in for each SLM.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=2986607

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is planning to migrate the Social Security Administration's (SSA) systems from the COBOL programming language to a more modern language, aiming to complete the process in months. This expedited migration poses significant risks to the integrity of the benefits that millions of Americans rely on, as the SSA's infrastructure has not been substantially updated in decades. Concerns exist regarding the potential for payment errors and system failures during the transition.

• DOGE plans to migrate SSA's legacy COBOL code to a modern language within an unreasonably tight timeframe.

• The proposed migration could jeopardize Social Security benefit payments for millions of Americans.

• Previous attempts at updating SSA's systems faced significant delays and challenges.

[RSnake: What year is it? How long have I been asleep? Is Magnum PI still on?]

Source: https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/

TikTok's future is uncertain as a US ban deadline approaches, sparking debate about the app's role in society and its impact on mental health. A recent blackout highlights the need for a permanent solution. The fate of TikTok remains unclear despite efforts to extend the deadline.

• TikTok has more than 170 million American users.

• ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, is a Chinese company owned by ByteDance.

• Oracle and other companies have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok.

[RSnake: Public sentiment has declined over a TikTok ban.]

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/technology/personaltech/tiktok-ban-deadline.html

Apple has integrated DJ capabilities into Apple Music, allowing users to build and mix sets using a wide array of DJ software and hardware. This initiative aims to enhance the creative workflows for DJs by providing instant access to over 100 million tracks and curated playlists, thereby making DJing more accessible to both newcomers and professionals.

• Apple Music now supports DJ software and hardware for enhanced mixing capabilities.

• The integration provides DJs with access to a vast music library and curated playlists.

[RSnake: That’s cool - tons of kids will want to toy with that.]

Source: https://www.musicweek.com/digital/read/dj-with-apple-music-launches-to-enable-subscribers-to-mix-their-own-sets/091655

Waymo's autonomous vehicles have driven over 50 million miles, reporting significantly fewer crashes than human drivers. In incidents examined, the majority involved human error, with reports showing a dramatic reduction in injury and property damage claims attributed to Waymo vehicles.

• Waymo's driverless vehicles have been involved in 60 crashes since 2020, primarily attributed to human errors.

• A comparison indicates that Waymo's crash rate is much lower than that of human drivers in similar driving conditions.

• Regulatory oversight requires Waymo to report all crashes, regardless of fault, enhancing transparency in safety outcomes.

[RSnake: I did see a video of it driving the wrong way on a one-way street. But that said, it is still safer than human drivers under normal conditions.]

Source: https://www.understandingai.org/p/human-drivers-keep-crashing-into

Elon Musk has completed an all-stock merger between his AI startup, xAI, and the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), which he acquired for $44 billion in 2022. This merger aims to enhance both companies' positions financially and strategically while alleviating the risks associated with Musk's significant margin loan backed by Tesla shares amid declining stock prices.

• Musk's companies xAI and X have merged to strengthen their financial and operational capabilities.

• The merger mitigates risks for Musk related to a sizable margin loan against Tesla stock.

[RSnake: I still haven’t heard the back story on this one. Any rumors?]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/did-musks-xai-x-merger-neutralize-tesla-takedown-color-revolution

The National Diversity Council, a nonprofit organization focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, has filed for bankruptcy amid allegations that its founder and top employees embezzled millions of dollars. The allegations include improper payments, self-dealing, and the creation of a competing for-profit organization using the nonprofit's resources and branding.

• The National Diversity Council has filed for bankruptcy following accusations of embezzlement and misappropriation of funds by its leadership.

• Allegations suggest that the founder created a for-profit organization and systematically siphoned off donor funds.

[RSnake: I am not surprised. That whole thing seemed like a racket.]

Source: https://www.dailywire.com/news/national-diversity-council-files-for-bankruptcy-says-top-employees-stole-millions

President Trump has imposed 25% tariffs on all cars imported to the US, including from North American neighbors, which will impact Tesla and other automakers.

• Tesla will not be affected by the new tariff regime since it builds all its cars in the US.

• Other automakers, such as Ford and General Motors, will face higher costs due to tariffs on imported components.

[RSnake: We might see even greater tariffs against China regarding their circumvention of other rules, pushing it to 45% for them. The EU has implemented the same. Even Russia imports Chinese cars with a luxury tax.]

Source: https://techcrunch.com/?p=2986769

Charlie Javice and Olivier Amar have been convicted of defrauding JPMorgan Chase by falsely inflating customer numbers for their startup, Frank, leading to a $175 million loss for the bank. They now face decades in prison on charges of conspiracy and fraud, with sentencing scheduled for July 23, 2025.

• Javice exaggerated Frank's user base from 4 million claimed to only around 300,000.

• Prosecutors indicated that the fraudulent activity was executed knowingly to secure a lucrative purchase deal from JPMorgan.

[RSnake: Oof, that’s a big delta.]

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/startup-founder-charlie-javice-convicted-of-defrauding-jpmorgan-chase-in-175-million-scam/articleshow/119689111.cms

A clinical psychologist created an AI-powered parenting coach app called Good Inside that uses generative AI to provide personalized advice to parents on dealing with difficult situations, and her brand has grown into a bestselling book, podcast, and social media presence.

• The Good Inside app is powered by generative AI trained on Dr. Becky's writing and videos and provides personalized advice to parents in real-time.

• The app costs $276 a year and has more than 50,000 members.

[RSnake: I understand how these companies exist, but really, there is no reason to use these apps when you have ChatGPT or Claude or Gemini, which can do all of these functions for you for the same price, but can do more.]

Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91305862/dr-becky-good-inside-ai-parenting-app

US tells European companies to comply with Trump’s anti-diversity order, amid rising tensions over business practices and national identity.

• The US government has instructed European companies to comply with a Trump-era order promoting diversity and inclusion.

• This move is seen as part of a broader effort to address concerns about American companies' business practices in Europe.

[RSnake: In the same way, I don’t like Europe telling US companies to comply with GDPR, I am sure they won’t like this.]

Source: https://www.ft.com/content/05002b9c-6e42-4ad6-bc2a-fd7724910a51

The US stock market is showing signs of volatility, with concerns about the S&P 500 remaining below its 200-day moving average and questions surrounding the sustainability of recent market rallies. Auto tariffs are affecting trade relationships, and the planned IPO of tech firm CoreWeave is being significantly downsized, indicating a shift in market sentiment towards AI investments. Analysts are expressing doubts about the strength of the AI sector amid increasing caution in investment strategies.

• The S&P 500 is underperforming and raising questions about a potential bear market.

• CoreWeave's IPO has been downsized, reflecting a decline in market appetite for AI-related investments.

• Auto tariffs are introducing uncertainty in US trade relationships, impacting the broader market.

[RSnake: We were going to take a hit, but the real question is when is this massive debt balloon going to pop?]

Source: https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/downsize-your-euphoria

Tencent has invested $1.25 billion in a subsidiary of Ubisoft, acquiring approximately 25% ownership, as Ubisoft seeks to revitalize its business through strong franchises like Assassin's Creed. This investment positions Tencent as Ubisoft's second-largest shareholder, aiming to leverage the gaming giant's popular titles to enhance its portfolio amidst challenges faced by Ubisoft in recent years.

• Tencent has made a significant investment in Ubisoft's new subsidiary.

• Ubisoft is restructuring to focus on its major game franchises amid declining stock market performance.

[RSnake: Keep in mind, Tencent also helped build Sesame Credit - they are an arm of the CCP, if not actually, in practice.]

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4l4y0yd03o